Everyday Errands Or Divine Appointments?

Everyday Errands Or Divine Appointments?

Last week, it was hot.  Like 97 and FULLY humid. Midwest humid.

Probably not the ideal day to decide to do all the shopping around at four stores for the best deals. Still, I was alone for a few hours and went with it.

Joined the other Aldi groupies. You have to bag your own groceries. Bring bags, bring bags. I remembered this time.

But I didn’t check for holes. Some food escaped into the parking lot.

They were like parting gifts, as they exited my bag and tried to roll away.

 

 

I took a quick stroll through a vintage/junk store.

You just never know…and this day was special.

The truck I’d been searching for was here!

And a much lower price than normal. So far so good.

Are these really mundane, ordinary, everyday errands…or something greater?

 

 

Payday.

I  went to top off the gas tank.

It was distracting to hear the blaring of the TV screens at the pumps, battling for air space with the car on the other side’s stereo system.

Nothing seems out of the ordinary. But, maybe I’m not looking closely.

A good life happens when you stop and are grateful for the ordinary moments that so many of us just steamroll over to try to find those extraordinary moments.–Brene Brown

 

 

With a few minutes still to spare, I cruised the craft store clearance aisles. For this cheap chick, $80 on clearance for a mirror is still too much.

Besides, the trunk was full of sweating food items. Time to book it home.

Just an average, ordinary, everyday kind of day. Full of stops and starts, it all seems so plain. Tedious.

But not to me…

 

 

Desiring the days you have

Someone once claimed that people never desire the life they have.  What a shame, I must be an oddball.

I do desire the life I have. 

How could I come home and not be filled with gratitude for the day? On this day,  I had money to buy food for my family, gas to put in our car to get places easily, and made it home safely again.

Errands are part of our everyday life.

I am learning to look forward to them, to dig until I can see them as a blessing instead of a hassle.

I open up the trunk and am filled with gratitude. All these errands? To me they spell luxury. And what a shame to only see them as a necessary evil instead of opportunities.

 

 

Turn complaints into gratitude

I got to come home to a created world, unload and move on. I have the life I desire.

I am recognizing that this piece, common task completion,  is just as important as the others.

On everyday errands, we meet everyday people and get an excellent chance to smile and perhaps be the only kind person they come in contact with that day.

 Even errands offer an opportunity to minister. 

This day also opened my eyes to this community. There are men who still open doors for ladies, and men whose ladies look defeated. There are babies in carts with no decent clothing and dirty faces, and ones that are miniature fashion models.

Checkers who looked haggard and overwhelmed, and one who genuinely seemed to hope I had a nice day. The lonely who look for any opportunity to strike up a conversation in the aisles.

Errands aren’t just about getting the stuff we need, but a  chance to give away what someone else needs.

Perhaps these are divine appointments.

I’m keeping my eyes open. Offering a simple smile.

PS. Click here to read a story about meeting Jim in the grocery store, who was dying and needed to talk.